The Mask Maker and The Tracker
by Lunarwolf11021
Summary: Aria Potter had come a long way since she met Uta in the 4th ward. As a Tracker in high demand, Aria had met many ghouls and magicals over the years. As a magical hybrid, she was a curiosity to the various ghouls in Tokyo as she wasn't something anyone really knew could exist. This is the story that occurs years after where we left off in 'The Ghoul and the Witch'. What will happen
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul Or Harry Potter**

 **Hello everyone! I am here with the sequel of 'The Ghoul and The Witch'! It feels good to write about this story and let me tell ya, I have so many ideas it's crazy. I have not finished on catching up with the manga, but I have started the RE side of things so this will be fun. I hope all of you are ready for this! Let's get started!**

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

Rain fell softly to the ground as a figure darted through the alleyways of an abandoned industrial park. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind the figure as they ran towards one of the largest abandoned factories. They skidded and wiggled through a rusted hole in the fence surrounding it. Broken glass and rusted pieces of metal crunched under foot as the figure rushed towards one of the broken windows on the ground floor. They climbed inside and moved deeper into the factory. As soon as they had reached the middle of factory, they dropped to their knees in relief as other figures surrounded them. As lightning lit up the darkened interior, the figures were revealed to be wearing heavy darkly colored cloaks barring a single identifying mark: A golden eagle with a salmon clutched in it's claws.

A figure with a white wolf mask put down the crystal ball showing the image and turned to the goblins standing there, "Are you absolutely sure they're the only ones inside? With how much it's been raining, I'm finding it hard to pick through the scent of water."

"We're sure," The lead goblin insisted, "We've gotten the information directly from our spies,"

"Then I will go after my target and you will take care of the rest," The wolf masked figure turned towards the crystal ball, "My target is in the dark green and black cloak,"

"Noted," The goblin turned and began barking orders in the goblin language.

The wolf masked figure's hidden eyes narrowed as they scrutinized the image. Somehow, they didn't think it would be as easy as the goblins believed. With the knowledge that the goblins were coming after them, the target couldn't be so stupid. Inwardly shaking their head, the wolf masked figure decided to be extra careful at this particular point. They pulled the edges of the cloak she'd been given closer and grimaced. Perhaps it was time they took time off, it had been too long since they'd spent a lot of time home. A harshly bellow cry from the goblins behind the figure prompted them into action. Hopefully, they could end this quickly.

* * *

A low rumbling sound shook the windows of a closed tattoo shop seconds after lightning lit up the sky. Through the back door of the shop, a second one sat open only this one was a mask shop. Masks lined the walls and sat displayed on manikins. Sitting at a desk near one of the three doors at the back of the shop, a tattooed mask maker was finishing up a final mask. He paused in his work as a shiver ran down his spine and his kakugan eyes narrowed as they gained an inner light. He reached for his phone and checked for any messages only to find nothing. Expecting this, he dialed one of the numbers. A feminine voice came on the other line, "Uta?"

"Has Aria contacted you recently, Itori?" He asked while setting down his needle.

"Other than to check in this morning, no," Itori replied sounding concerned, "Why?"

"She hasn't called me since this morning," Uta replied earning a sound of acknowledgement from the female ghoul.

The sound of clothes rustling sounded in the background as Itori said, "She's probably in the middle of her hunt. You know how she is when it comes to these jobs."

"I know," Uta couldn't shake the feeling of something being wrong.

Itori seemed to know what he was feeling, "If you want, I can have some of the others be on a look out for her."

"Please," Uta closed his eyes for a few moments.

"I'll get right on that. Talk to you later, U~" Itori hung up and Uta set down his phone.

Reaching up to run a hand through his black hair, Uta sighed deeply and muttered, "Just get home, Aria."

* * *

A pale goblin shakily held out a tray covered in bloody body parts towards the hybrid witch currently sitting on one of the white infirmary beds. Aria took the tray and watched the young goblin scramble away looking ill. She heard a low huff from the female healer that was currently tending to the wound on her right leg. Aria ignored it for a moment as she set down the tray and began to eat. The goblin female snorted softly, "You would think the young ones would be able to deal with that by now."

"He's probably new," Aria commented after swallowing what was in her mouth.

The healer rolled her eyes, "I have no doubt about that. How does this feel?"

Aria nearly choked on the finger she was eating at the searing pain racing through her leg. Swallowing harshly, Aria bit out, "It fucking hurts."

The healer removed her hand and continued using magic, "You'll need to stay off this leg and avoid jostling your ribs too much. Luckily your more durable than the average witch or you would only have one leg to stand on."

Aria grimaced at the comment and continued to eat the meal that had been provided to her, "Uta is going to kill me."

"He'll be more likely to kill the idiots in charge of information and spying," The healer looked at her in amusement as Aria considered that and snickered in agreement, "That partner of yours is still as violent as he was back then,"

"He's learned how to control himself better and focuses his more violent impulses on other things," Aria replied while finishing off the food she'd been given.

"Once a blood thirsty warrior, always a blood thirsty warrior," The goblin murmured softly.

* * *

Yoshimura had thought that today would be a regular day until Touka came upstairs looking a little shaken. Yoshimura sent Touka on her break and headed downstairs to find the reason for the teenage ghoul's distress sitting at the bar chatting with Irimi. Aria looked up at him and grinned, "Yo, Yoshimura. Where'd Touka go?"

"She went on her break," Yoshimura informed her as he walked around the bar to sit down beside her, "Why do you have a cane?"

"I got into a little accident," Aria patted the cane, "I was hoping I could borrow Renji for a little while if he was working today,"

"He will be here in an hour," Yoshimura informed her earning a nod, "If you wouldn't mind, we can discuss business upstairs,"

Aria grinned brightly and nodded as she carefully got up, "Of course."

Yoshimura guided her upstairs and they settled in the staff room. He got them coffee and some sandwiches for Aria before settling down. He looked at the hybrid curiously, "What brings you to Anteiku today, Miss Potter?"

Aria was silent for a few moments as she sipped her coffee. When she spoke, Yoshimura couldn't find himself surprised, "Rumors mostly. I heard from a little birdie that Ayato has joined the tree. While it hasn't been confirmed yet, the 13th ward's Jason might be a part of the tree as well," Aria picked up a sandwich, "But I didn't come here with just that."

"I see," Yoshimura watched her begin to eat, "And what else have you heard?"

"The 20th ward's peace may soon be threatened," Aria replied after swallowing the food in her mouth, "Two rather annoying ghouls will be making their presence known. One of which you are very familiar with,"

Yoshimura frowned slightly, "Tsukiyama?"

"Shu," Aria confirmed earning a nod, "The other is Rize Kamishiro,"

Yoshimura's frown deepened, "Are you certain?"

"The path she's taken and whispers from those in the various other wards confirm it," Aria took a sip of her coffee before continuing, "While she may go to another ward, she will be coming to the 20th,"

"I see," Yoshimura could handle Tsukiyama, but Rize was a diffrent kettle of fish, "I assume you both will be watching?"

"Yes," Aria finished off the food he'd given her and settled back in her chair cradling the coffee cup in her hands, "If Rize really starts to annoy me, I'll get involved if only to get rid of the source of that stench she calls a scent,"

Yoshimura chuckled softly, "I see."

Aria was silent for a few moments and Yoshimura allowed her to gather her thoughts. He glanced down at her leg and could make out the outline of bandages and a splint. Beneath her leather jacket, he could see the outline of bandages wrapped mostly around her ribs and sides. He wondered what had happened on her last job before pushing those thoughts away. Aria wouldn't appreciate his questions. When she finally spoke, Yoshimura couldn't find it in himself to be surprised, "Touka seems to have really settled in."

"That she has," Yoshimura smiled slightly, "Though I do have to find out what you did to get her scared of you,"

Aria winced slightly, "You'll have to get it out of her. I'm still struggling to put together what exactly happened."

Yoshimura frowned as he caught the regret swimming in those multicolored eyes of hers. Yoshimura was about to say something when Renji entered the room, "Aria."

"Ren!" Aria broke out of her regret and grinned at him, "How are you?"

"I should be asking you," Renji grunted out with a slight smile.

Aria turned to Yoshimura and told him, "I'm still stealing Ren for a few hours."

"I don't have a problem with that," Yoshimura watched Aria set down her coffee cup and carefully rise to her feet.

Renji moved to steady her with a frown on his face, "Uta is not going to be happy."

"I know," Aria picked up her cane and turned to Yoshimura, "Thank you for the sandwiches, snacks, and conversation, it was nice,"

"It is no trouble," Yoshimura replied.

The two left and Yoshimura watched them go as a frown appeared on his face. The information that Aria had given him was quite unsettling despite the fact that he'd heard something similar from other sources. He did have to smile a bit at the fact that Aria was willing to share information with him and take the food he had to offer. It showed just how much their relationship had improved since their first meeting. While there was still some hesitation, she was willing to work with them. The fact that she'd recently put them into contact with the goblins had only influenced that fact. He sipped some coffee and thought back to his many interactions with Aria. The young hybrid was diffrent from his daughter and he wondered if perhaps, she could help Eto become more peaceful.

* * *

Renji looked at Aria as they rode the train towards the 4th district where Uta and Aria had an apartment together. He spoke as they reached the halfway point, "I assume there is something you want to talk about? You wouldn't have asked me to accompany you home as none of the ghouls in the 4th ward would dare attack you."

Aria stayed silent for a few moments as her eyes narrowed on the scenery. Renji stayed silent as he knew she was thinking. Unlike Uta, he didn't have the ability to pull Aria from her thoughts without causing a violent reaction. Finally, Aria blinked and looked towards him, "Something is going to happen."

"What do you mean?" The oddly cryptic words disturbed Renji as Aria rarely said things like that.

Aria frowned slightly, "My instincts are unsettled for some reason. I mentioned it to a goblin healer and heard that one of the seers had predicted that a turbulent time was coming to Tokyo. No one knows what it means."

Renji frowned at her, "Does this have something to do with Uta's ideas?"

Aria sighed softly, "I do not know," Aria looked at him with a pleading look, "Renji, take care of yourself. I don't want to lose friends,"

Renji was surprised by the request, but nodded, "Take care of yourself as well."

"I've got Uta watching my back, Ren," Aria smiled warmly at him, "You know he won't let me get hurt if he can stop it,"

Renji inclined his head as distaste filled him. Uta was his friend, but sometimes he wondered how Aria could hold so much faith in the mask maker. Aria turned back to the scenery though he was well aware that she knew what he was thinking. Renji mentally sighed and wondered not for the first time what Uta did to make someone like Aria love him.

* * *

When Uta returned to the rather spacious apartment he shared with Aria, he was not surprised to find Renji's scent there. Itori had informed him that someone had seen Aria return to the ward with Renji. He knew that Aria had likely gone to talk with Yoshimura which had become increasingly common over the years despite his hybrid's previous intense dislike and suspicion of the old ghoul. After kicking off his shoes and taking off his jacket, Uta sniffed lightly and found Aria's scent leading him to the kitchen. Aria was sitting with a coffee cup in hand and a half eaten plate of food in front of her. By the glazed and far off look in her eye, he knew that she was lost in her thoughts. Uta walked around the table and wrapped his arms around her neck. He pressed his nose into her hair and breathed in her soothing scent. It took a few moments, but Aria leaned back against him. He stayed still as her fingers reached up to brush against his arms. She spoke after a few moments, "My right leg is going to be out of commission for at least a week. My ribs are going to be sore for a few days."

"What happened?" Uta asked with a small frown at the knowledge someone had managed to hurt her.

"The goblins didn't have all the information," Aria took a sip of her coffee before grimacing and putting down the cup revealing that it had probably turned cold, "My target had a veritable army hidden in a decrepit factory. I ended up against five elementals instead of one. It's lucky that I'm used to fighting ghouls and doves otherwise I'd be in worse shape,"

Uta refrained from growling, "What are they giving you in return?"

"Two weeks of paid leave, two favors that I can use at any time, and my choice of easy contracts," Aria informed him.

Uta snorted softly, "That's less than they should've given you."

"It's generous coming from them," Aria reminded him that the goblins were stingy bastards.

"How many favors do they owe us now?" Uta asked her.

Aria hummed softly as she tapped his left hand, "Five favors. We used our sixth to upgrade the wards on our 21st ward mansion."

Uta let go of her and glanced at the half eaten food, "What got you so lost in your thoughts?"

Aria blinked at him as he picked up the coffee cup and plate, "My instincts are unsettled and one of the goblin seers saw that Tokyo is in for a very turbulent time."

"Do you think it has something to do with our plans?" Uta asked her as he dumped the cold food and coffee, "And are you still hungry?"

"I'm still hungry," She told him earning a nod and Uta went about making her a new plate of food alongside getting them both some coffee, "Considering everything, I'm fairly sure our plans coincide with it. I could be wrong since it could be something else. Aogiri Tree is starting to stir and Rize is heading towards the 20th ward alongside Tsukiyama Shu,"

Uta's eyes narrowed at the thought of the male ghoul and his rather annoying fascination with Aria. Instead of focusing on that, Uta finished making her food and brought it to the table with their coffee. Aria smiled warmly at him and Uta smiled slightly as warmth settled in his chest. She started eating as Uta considered her words. When she had finished half of her meal, Uta commented, "It looks like our plans maybe starting soon."

"Can we please kill Rize off?" Aria asked him earning a smirk from Uta as he knew she really didn't like the binge eater.

"It all depends on how things go," Uta was tempted to do as Aria wanted since Rize's recent actions had brought far more attention to the ghoul population than was needed.

Aria pouted slightly, but continued eating. When she finished, Aria said, "I will say that I'm looking forward to having two full weeks back. I've been feeling the need to stab people over and over while they pay me for it."

Uta snorted softly before asking, "Where are Kibou and Ceres? I don't smell either of them."

"Kibou ran off when Renji was leaving and Ceres decided to wander," Aria sipped her coffee and sighed deeply looking content, "I missed being home,"

Uta smiled lightly as he reached out to grab her unoccupied hand, "I'm glad too."

 **A little bit short, but it's a start. I hope you guys enjoy this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul Or Harry Potter**

 **Summary: Aria Potter had come a long way since she met Uta in the 4th ward. As a Tracker in high demand, Aria had met many ghouls and magicals over the years. As a magical hybrid, she was a curiosity to the various ghouls in Tokyo as she wasn't something anyone really knew could exist. This is the story that occurs years after where we left off in 'The Ghoul and the Witch'. What will happen?**

 **Hello everyone! I am here with the sequel of 'The Ghoul and The Witch'! It feels good to write about this story and let me tell ya, I have so many ideas it's crazy. I have not finished on catching up with the manga, but I have started the RE side of things so this will be fun. I hope all of you are ready for this! Let's get started!**

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

Aria was looking over some new designs when her phone went off. Grabbing it, Aria answered, "Hello."

"Wolf," Aria smirked as she heard that familiar voice.

"Black bunny," Aria replied earning a low grunt from the male on the other line, "I assume you have information for me?"

"Yeah," He replied.

* * *

Uta looked at Aria as she entered his portion of their shop and asked, "I assume something happened?"

"Ayato sent us information," Aria settled down on the chair beside Uta, "He's just confirmed the rumors of Yakumo joining up with the Tree,"

Uta blinked before chuckling, "I wonder what they're going to do that has the 13th ward's Jason's interest."

Aria hummed lightly as she put down her cane, "I don't know, but we could have Nico go."

Uta thought about it before pointing out, "You just want him to stop bothering you."

"Do you blame me?" Aria groaned softly, "He gets sooo annoying when his partners end up dead or he dumps them," Uta chuckled softly, "Besides Nico's good at information gathering. We can have him as another source of information,"

"You'll have to ask Itori," Uta looked down at the mask he was crafting, "She is the one in charge of our information gathers save for you,"

Aria picked up the sketch he'd been working on, "It's been awhile since we've gone drinking. How about we go tonight? I could use some whiskey."

Picking up his needle once more, Uta began stitching the fabric, "I thought you were supposed to drink alcohol when you're injured."

"It's just for tonight," Aria picked up a pencil and began marking the sketch, "How often do we go drinking?"

Uta contemplated that for a little while before deciding that it would be nice since it had been so long, "Alright, but we're going hunting afterward. I want to get something fresh and you could really use it to help yourself heal."

"Just don't expect me to do much," Aria leaned over and kissed his cheek before turning back to his sketch.

* * *

"So you," Itori pointed at Aria as the hybrid drank a shot of whiskey, "Actually want Nico to get information for us?"

Aria nodded lightly, "It'll get him out of our hair and hopefully get him to stop complaining about not having a new lover."

Itori tapped her bottom lip after pouring Aria another shot. Aria glanced towards where Uta was talking with one of the younger clowns. The girl had to be around seventeen maybe eighteen. She had bright pink eyes and mint green hair cut into a bob. Aria watched the girl touch Uta's arm and mentally snorted at the lust she could see darkening those pink eyes. Itori's voice cut through her thoughts, "She's Haru. Matsuko's been training her."

"I can tell," Aria rolled her eyes.

"I'm surprised you aren't reacting," Itori commented as Aria downed the shot she'd been given.

Aria snorted in derision, "That little girl doesn't have a chance, Uta is more likely to eat her than fuck her."

Uta turned and smirked at Aria earning an eye roll from the hybrid. Itori shook her head, "It's like you two are anti-romance."

"Romance is nice, but do you honestly expect Uta to be a romantic guy?" Aria shook her head, "I know he loves me and the little things he does cement that,"

Itori just continued to shake her head, "I'm stating to agree with Matsuko, Lena, and Koma. You two are defective."

Uta walked over and sat down beside Aria at the bar. He pulled her into his lap earning a soft yelp that was silenced by him pulling her into a searing kiss. Aria immediately started kissing him back while wrapping her arms around his neck. Licking her bottom lip, Uta pushed his tongue into her mouth which sparked a minor war over dominance that he won simply because Aria didn't feel like fighting him right now. He pulled away after a few moments earning a muted whine of protest. Aria leaned into him while ignoring the jolts of pain going up her injured leg. Aria glanced over Uta's shoulder and smirked at the orange haired girl that was currently gaping at her. Aria mouthed, 'Mine'.

Uta's face was settled into an innocent mask as he told a rather surprised Itori, "What's wrong? You wanted me to do something romantic right?"

Aria turned around to look at Itori the elder female ghoul asked, "How do you deal with him?"

"I have experience and live with him," Aria was beginning to dislike her current position, "Uta, can you set me back on my seat? My leg's starting to hurt,"

Uta immediately did as she asked with a frown on his face, "Are you going to be able to walk?"

"I should be able to," Aria lifted up the fabric of her pants and checked her injured leg, "I don't see blood, so we should be fine,"

"Good," Uta reached out to wrap his fingers around hers and squeezed.

Aria squeezed back as Itori muttered, "So you two do romance just not what other people consider romantic."

"I could ravish her if she wanted me to," Uta joked earning a wide eyed look, "But Aria doesn't care for such public displays of affection,"

"Only the extremely indecent ones," Aria muttered while looking away from Itori with slightly pink cheeks.

Pressure on her hand told Aria that Uta had heard that, she hoped he wouldn't try anything until after she healed up. Uta spoke as Aria began to feel a bit hungry, "So are you going to send Nico out to seduce Yakumo?"

Aria looked towards Itori. The bar owner thought about it before nodding, "I don't see why not."

"Good," Aria turned to Uta, "Uta, I'm hungry,"

"Then lets go find something to eat," Uta got up and held out a hand to Aria.

She took his hand and slowly stood up. Once she was steady on her feet, she grabbed her cane as Uta paid for their drinks. They left the bar slowly to allow Aria to get used to walking with the cane again.

* * *

Uta looked at Aria as she leaned into his side. She spoke after a little while, "Uta."

"Hmm?" He wrapped his arm around her.

"I still feel bad about what happened with Touka," Aria murmured softly.

Uta mentally sighed having expected as much. Touka had been someone Aria enjoyed watching over after Yoshimura had managed to find Renji's missing relatives. Aria liked Touka because the younger ghoul reminded her of herself when she was younger only not as socially stunted. While Touka did irritate her a little with how much she hated being a ghoul, Aria wanted Touka to succeed. Uta hugged Aria to him tighter, "You'll figure out a proper way to apologize and renew your friendship later though it probably wouldn't have happened if Touka was more like Ayato."

Aria shook her head, "Touka's fine the way she is. I was having a really bad month remember."

"I know," Uta pressed a kiss to her crown, "Regardless of what happened, you'll eventually bridge the gap,"

Aria pressed her nose into his side for a few seconds before pulling away, "Let's find something to eat, I really am hungry."

* * *

Taking her first steps without feeling any pain was a relief to Aria after a full week of her leg paining her, she was happy enough to tackle Uta. Of course, Uta dodged before Aria could reach him which ended up with her sprawled on the floor and blinking as she stared at the rug she'd put down a few weeks after they moved in to this apartment. She slowly raised her head and looked at Uta as he crouched down beside her with an amused smirk on his face. Her eyes narrowed, "Uta?"

"Yes?" He continued to smirk at her.

"I was trying to tackle you for a hug," Aria spoke slowly.

He nodded lightly, "I'm aware. I didn't feel like being tackled."

"You're an ass," Aria told him with a glare.

He chuckled and held out a hand to her, "But you love me, so does it really matter."

Aria grumbled under her breath as she grabbed his hand. Instead of letting him pull her up, Aria pulled Uta down much to his surprise while rolling over to avoid being crushed under him. She got onto her knees and smirked at him as he laid there with a slightly wide eyes. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips before pulling back, "You're adorable when you're surprised."

Uta blinked at Aria before holding out a hand. Aria took it and found herself sprawled across his stomach. She yawned softly as she moved to settle on top of him properly rather than lay across his stomach. He let out a soft chuckle as she nuzzled into his neck, "We do have to be in the shop soon."

Aria hummed lightly and pressed a kiss to the underside of his chin, "Mhmm."

"Why are you suddenly so lazy?" He asked with amusement filling his voice, "And so willing to tackle me for a hug. It isn't like you,"

Aria pushed herself up onto her elbows and looked down at him with a grin, "My leg's fully healed which means I can finally get back to tattooing."

"And we can finally have some real fun," Uta's fingers brushed against her sides as they traveled to the waist line of her shirt.

Uta sat up causing Aria to slid into his lap. Aria pressed a kiss to his lips and initiated a rather heated make-out session. Uta's fingers slipped underneath her shirt and dragged the thin material up with them. They broke the kiss in order to get her shirt off and then his before returning to it. Aria's fingers slipped into his hair and tugged lightly earning a groan from Uta. Before it could go any further, Aria's phone rang earning a growl of annoyance from the two. Aria reluctantly got off of Uta and walked over to her bedside table. She answered her phone with a slightly irritated, "Yes?"

"Someone doesn't sound too happy~" The cheerful voice on the other end was sickening.

"Nico," Aria's eyes narrowed, "What the fuck do you want?"

"I thought you would like to know I'm with Yamori and might I say he-" Nico started only to be cut off.

"I do not want to know about your sex life, Nico," Aria took a deep breath and said, "Do you have any information you need to tell us?"

"Other than Yamori taking a liking to me?" Nico asked only to be met with silence, "I don't know too much at the moment. Yamori doesn't trust me enough to join him at any meetings just yet,"

"When he does, send a text or tell Itori," Aria ran a hand through her hair, "If that's all, I need to go. Uta and I have work to get done,"

"Fine," Nico was most likely pouting and Aria could care less especially right now, "I'll go. Talk to you soon~"

With that, Nico hung up and Aria put down her phone before she destroyed it. She turned and found Uta looking at her from his former position. She shook her head at him, "I'm not in the mood anymore."

Uta shook his head with a low sigh, "Maybe giving our numbers to everyone in the group was a bad idea."

Considering how many times they were interrupted by the members of their group, Aria didn't blame him for thinking that. Walking towards the bathroom, Aria told him, "Let's just get ready for the day, we'll be fairly busy after all."

Uta muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like, 'We could just take today off and stay home'.

As tempting as the idea was, Aria really wanted to get back to tattooing.

* * *

Aria pinned her prey with a slight smirk as the wizard struggled against her. It was laughable that he actually thought he could harm her. Aria pinned him against the wall and pressed her lips to his ear, "Who sent you, Little mouse? Who sent you to die?"

"I dunno!" He babbled in Japanese, "Some ginger haired dude offered me a lot of money for you. I didn't know you were one of them!"

Aria felt Uta's presence behind her, but said nothing about it as she giggled, "One of them? You mean a ghoul? Well, you're half right."

She watched in amusement as the wizard's eyes widened at the sight of her single kakugan. He whispered, "One-eye."

"It's a shame you had to come around now," Aria informed the terrified man, "I would've love to eat you fresh, but since I'm not hungry,"

"Pl-" He began only for his words to turn into terrified gurgles as his throat was cut open.

Aria watched in fascination as blood dripped from both his mouth and neck. Despite not being hungry, Aria leaned forward and pressed her mouth to the open wound. She drank the blood and shivered slightly at the sweet airy taste to it. When she finished, Uta chuckled softly as she licked her lips lightly with a slight pout, "I thought you weren't hungry."

"I'm not. You know how I get with magical blood," Aria grimaced at her jacket, "Damn it, I just got this cleaned too,"

Aria took off her jacket as Uta said, "You should probably call for that house elf the goblins gave us."

Muttering under her breath, Aria shot him a look before calling out, "Fern."

"Mistress called for me?" The house elf appeared immediately, "Oh dear,"

"Can you please take that to get butchered and take my jacket to get cleaned again?" Aria asked earning a nod, "Thank you,"

Fern took the jacket and dead body away as Uta commented, "It looks like they still haven't given up on you."

"Which just shows you how stupid they are," Aria scoffed softly as they began walking out of the alleyway she had gone into once the wizard started following them, "We've already dealt with them multiple times and almost all of those sent after me have died. What do we have to do to get them to stop?"

Uta grabbed her hand and stopped her before they could exit the alley. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Aria moaned softly as she kissed him back and felt his tongue gliding over her lips. She knew he was licking off the visible blood that was on her lips, chin, and her neck to keep people from calling the doves on them. By the time he was finished, Aria was flushed and had a few rapidly healing marks on her neck. He had a smug look in his eyes as he smirked at her, "All clean."

Aria rolled her eyes as they resumed walking towards Anteiku. Aria was going for some coffee and Uta was going to talk with Yoshimura. She didn't quite know why, but was sure it had to do with Rize's presence in the ward. Aria did have to wonder if Tsukiyama was in the 20th ward yet. While Uta didn't like him for obvious reason, Aria didn't mind the gourmet too much since he was very well read and their discussions over books had always been a lot of fun. She had actually branched out her reading library because of their talks. Aria knew that he was probably biding his time until he could finally manage to eat her, but talking with him was a lot of fun. Uta tugged on one of her long braids that hung on either side of her face, "Yes, Uta?"

"You were deep in thought," Uta told her and she sniffed the air.

As soon as she caught the familiar scent of Anteiku, Aria smiled lightly, "Sorry, I was just wondering if Tsukiyama has made it to the 20th ward yet."

Uta's eyes darkened beneath his sunglasses and he grimaced slightly, "Oh."

Aria almost rolled her eyes, but held back the urge as she pressed a kiss to his cheek, "None of that, I love you and only want you. You know that."

Uta didn't say anything and Aria knew he was going to be in foul mood for a little while. He always was whenever Tsukiyama was brought up. Inwardly sighing, Aria entered the coffee shop with Uta.

* * *

Aria was humming softly as they left only to stop as she caught Rize's scent. Inwardly gagging, Aria leaned into Uta and took a deep breath of his scent. Aria was relieved when Rize ignored them and headed into the coffee shop. They walked in silence for awhile. Uta broke it once they couldn't smell Rize's foul scent anymore, "So we're going to begin soon."

"Mhmm," Aria grinned slightly, "So we going to kill Rize off?"

"Perhaps," Uta glanced down at her, "We still need our main character,"

Aria nodded while wondering what sorry son of a bitch they'd pick out this time.

 **Well I wanted to write more, but my muse decided that this was an excellent stopping point.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul Or Harry Potter**

 **Summary: Aria Potter had come a long way since she met Uta in the 4th ward. As a Tracker in high demand, Aria had met many ghouls and magicals over the years. As a magical hybrid, she was a curiosity to the various ghouls in Tokyo as she wasn't something anyone really knew could exist. This is the story that occurs years after where we left off in 'The Ghoul and the Witch'. What will happen?**

 **Okay so this chapter was a long time coming. Recently, I've been a bit under the weather, still am, so my ability to write has been limited due to massive headaches.**

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

A grin stretched across her face as she watched the news. Her phone rang and she heard, " _Are you seeing this_?"

"Hell yes," Aria laughed lightly, "Rize's gone and Uta's plans are finally going to start,"

Itori was probably grinning as she replied, "T _his is going to be awesome! I haven't been this excited since we were decorating the meeting place back then._ "

Aria shook her head, "I can't wait. It'll be so much fun."

" _You know something_ ," Itori said as Aria went to the kitchen to grab a snack before she got back to designing some new tattoos, " _It's it going to be odd having another artificial hybrid around?"_

Aria shrugged lightly as she opened the fridge and pulled out the bowl of cubed fruit she'd placed in there yesterday, "I'm kind of looking forward to it if only to see if he'd be like me. You know, able to eat human food after he has his first meal."

" _So it's going to be like an experiment for you?_ " Itori asked as Aria grabbed a soda before shutting the fridge and moving back over to the couch.

Aria sat down and grabbed her sketchbook, "Kind of. Aren't you curious?"

" _Of course I am,_ " Itori replied as the sounds of glass clinking sounded from her end, " _I think everyone in the group is eager to see what happens. I wonder if he'll take to it as good as you did,"_

"He seemed kind of puppyish to me," Aria grabbed a piece of cubed watermelon, "So I can't say for sure. I kind of hope he takes to it if only for the sake of changing things up,"

" _I do too,_ " Itori commented as Aria began eating, " _Well, I gotta go. I just got a lot of customers. See ya later,_ "

"See ya," Aria hung up the phone and turned to her sketchpad, "Okay, let's see what I can do here..."

* * *

Warm arms curled around his waist and a pair of lips pressed into his neck, Uta smiled faintly as he continued to work on the mask in front of him, "Aria, Rize isn't dead yet."

"Why not?" Aria sounded more than a little irritated.

"Kanou wished to use her for further experiments," Uta informed her as he continued to work, "I agreed because we have no idea whether the kid will work out as our star,"

Aria let out a low growl, "I don't like it."

"I know," Uta turned his head to press a kiss to her cheek, "At the very least, Rize will no longer be at large and you will likely never see her again,"

Aria huffed softly, but said nothing in reply. He knew that she would likely be punishing him in someway since she really didn't like the idea of Rize still being alive. While she would likely find some happiness in knowing that Rize was suffering, Aria wanted Rize dead no matter what. While Uta didn't exactly know the full reason why, he knew enough to know that Aria was probably going to find a way to kill Rize. He made a mental note to buy some of her favorite chocolates or a new book on runes to make up for it. Aria spoke softly, "Uta."

"Yes?" He glanced at her curiously.

"The goblins called a little while ago," She smiled slightly, "The Madams have been requesting my services,"

"Oh?" He smirked as he returned his attention to the mask he was making, "Am I to assume they want you to find someone?"

"They want me to track down some magicals," Aria hugged him a bit tighter, "For the next auction,"

"I see," He could see where she was going with this, "And you want to take the job?"

"I'm curious to see just how much an out of shape English magical is worth," Aria giggled softly, "Call it curiosity,"

Uta snorted and shook his head, "Do as you wish, but do try to avoid being taken out of the country. I would prefer not having to go after you despite the fact I'm curious about what England is like."

Aria moved around and kissed him lightly. Uta pulled her into his lap after dropping the materials he'd been working with. Aria's arms wrapped around his neck as her head tilted. Uta slipped his tongue in between her lips and tugged her closer. Uta felt the familiar hunger to devour Aria rise up and increase as Aria shifted in his lap to straddle him. Aria broke the kiss and Uta took the opportunity to get at her neck. He licked, nipped, and sucked at the soft skin near her pulse point. He groaned as she tugged at his hair and ground into his lap against his steadily hardening erection. He pulled away from her neck to kiss her again felling the desire to fuck Aria right here in their shop rise up. He was about to pull her shirt off when a phone went off. Uta would've ignored it had Aria not pulled away from him to answer it. He glared at her phone as she answered, "Hello?"

" _Aria~_ " Itori's voice came through loud and clear, " _Do you want to go shopping?"_

Uta almost smirk as he tugged Aria back over to him. She was no- "Sure thing," Aria smirked as she pulled away from him, "I can be there in five. Mind if I grab Luna?"

" _Ooh! A girls day? I cal Lena and Matsuko to see if they want to join in,"_ Itori replied as Aria got off his lap, _"See ya soon, Aria!"_

"See you soon, Itori," Aria replied and hung up, "Well, I got to-"

"Aria," Uta cut her off with a slight growl, "You planned that,"

"No, but it does fit in nicely for my plans," Aria moved towards the door as she picked up her jacket and purse, "Now I gotta go meet up with Luna and go to Itori for that shopping trip," She glanced back at him as he glared at her, "See you, Uta~"

Uta contemplating getting up and dragging her back here to remind her why doing something like this was ill-advised. He had done it before, but not when he had so many orders to fill. Grimacing slightly as he turned back to the mask he needed to finish, Uta would be getting her back for that.

* * *

Itori looked at Aria and burst out laughing, "I can't believe you did that!"

"And?" Aria leaned back against the wall while waiting for Luna and the others to leave their dressing rooms, "He deserved it,"

"You do realize he's going to get you back for that, right?" Matsuko asked as she walked out, "How do I look?"

"The top looks good on you, but the pants make your ass look gigantic," Itori informed her.

"I know and I'm looking forward to it," Aria grinned brightly, "Itori's right about the shirt. It's definitely something I can see you wearing, but you need to get it in a nice deep green not pink,"

Matsuko looked into the mirror and nodded, "I think your both right about the shirt, but I really like these pants."

Lana walked out next and commented, "The pants do make your butt look big, but can we please focus on just how much Aria's changed since she was a teenager?"

Aria rolled her eyes as Itori pulled her into a hug, "Oh, I'm so proud! You've become like a little sex-kitten."

Elbowing the elder ghoul, Aria said, "No, I am not."

Luna walked out next, "So what are we going to do next?"

"Aria needs a dress," Itori announced making Aria blanch, "The last one got trashed during the previous event," Itori pointed at her, "I still say you did it on purpose,"

"Why the hell would I ruin a three thousand dollar dress?" Aria asked her with a glare, "I didn't fall into that pit of blood on purpose and you know it,"

Aria had tripped on a random arm that had been laying around when she'd been chasing after one of the people they'd been auctioning off. Uta had decided to give the crowd a show while easing Aria's boredom. Aria found auctions boring after the first few prisoners were auctioned off. Uta had given the prisoner a chance to be freed if the man could evade Aria for three minutes. Aria only agreed because she wanted to ease her boredom and chasing after prey was really fun especially when they were screaming in terror. It was a hold over from her animagus form. It was during the last minute of her chase that she'd tripped on an arm that someone had thrown onto the stage during one of the earlier parts of the auction. As a result, Aria ended up landing in the pool of blood that had formed around and underneath the stage thus ruining her white dress.

Itori merely scoffed, "Let's pay for the clothes we want and head to that really nice boutique across the street."

Aria rolled her eyes, but said nothing as they went about doing as Itori wanted.

* * *

Scrolling through the notifications on her phone, Aria pretended not to notice the two idiots trailing after her. She headed towards an alleyway feeling a smirk tug at her lips as the team she'd brought on for this grinned from their places on the roofs. She headed deep into the alleyway and turned once she reached the dead end. Turning towards the idiot duo, she watched their eyes widen. Giggling, Aria said, "My, my, my what ugly little rats I have following me. What crooked and yellow teeth you ha-"

"Shut it, Potter!" The one on the left, Seamus Finnigan she believed his name was, "Come with us and we won't hurt you,"

"And I'm a pathetic and scared little mouse," Aria snorted loudly hearing snickers from the ghouls above her, "Let's cut the crap and get onto the good part. Who sent you?"

"Dumbledore," The other, another Gryffindor though she couldn't remember his name.

"Then I have absolutely no intention of even humoring you," Aria whistled sharply and the ghouls above her dropped to surround the two idiots, "I look forward to playing with you both,"

They were quickly knocked out and portkeyed to the bank's holding cells. Pulling out the check list, Aria ticked off two more and smirked, "Just three more of these idiots and we'll be finished."

"Damn, I can't wait until we get paid," Dai, one of the teenage members of the clowns, grinned brightly.

"Oh, hell yeah," Another one, Gin, pumped his fist.

Rolling her eyes, Aria told them, "Let's get looking fo-" Her phone went off, "Get to looking for those last three, I need to take this," They took off with eager looks on their faces and Aria answered her phone, "Yo."

" _Aria_ ," Uta's voice came through, " _How close are you to be done?"_

"Just three more idiots," Aria started walking out of the alleyway, "No Ronald yet, but I don't think it'll be too long until we find him," She headed towards one of the nearby vendors to get a snack, "Why?"

 _"I'm out of eyeballs,"_ He told her, " _Do you want to go hunting for snacks after you're finished?"_

Aria hummed lightly as she paid for her snack and returned to her searching, "Sure, it sounds fun."

" _Good,"_ Uta replied, _"I'll be nice to spend some time away from my work,"_

Aria had a thought, "Uta, do you think we could pick up more potions supplies? I'm fairly sure I used up the last of the blood root when I made that last batch of Ghoul Potion for my birthday."

" _No problem,"_ Uta said, " _We can go before getting snacks,"_

"Cool," Aria caught the scent of a much disliked and familiar scent, "If you'll excuse me, I think I've got a ginger haired asshole to hunt,"

Uta chuckled softly, " _I won't keep you. See you later."_

"See you later," Aria replied and hung up.

 **Okay this is a bit slow compared to the prequel. I am currently sick and have a killer headache, so I can't really write to my usual standards.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul Or Harry Potter**

 **Summary: Aria Potter had come a long way since she met Uta in the 4th ward. As a Tracker in high demand, Aria had met many ghouls and magicals over the years. As a magical hybrid, she was a curiosity to the various ghouls in Tokyo as she wasn't something anyone really knew could exist. This is the story that occurs years after where we left off in 'The Ghoul and the Witch'. What will happen?**

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

Uta glanced down at Aria as she laid curled up next to him. A sense of peace and contentment filled him as he peered down at her. The intense desire he felt for her rose up the longer he peered at her, but Uta was able to push it down as he wrapped his arm tighter around her waist causing Aria to yawn softly as she shifted onto her stomach to press her nose against his chest. Even after all this time, he was surprised by how much she trusted him to not hurt her while she was vulnerable. He leaned down to press his nose into her hair, he smelt the soft hints of cherry blossom and vanilla mixed through the lingering scent of blood, ink, ozone, and a bit of musk caused by her animagus form. He smiled softly as she shifted into him causing the dim sunlight just now coming through the windows to bathe over her features. The sight caused his desire to rear up despite how soon they needed to be in the shop to open.

Aria let out a low groan and burrowed her face into his chest, "Uta?" Uta hummed softly as while inwardly groaning at her sleep roughened voice and the feeling of her breath on his bare chest, "Can we kill the sun?"

"Unfortunately no," Uta chuckled softly.

Aria slowly rose up and peered at him with sleepy eyes, "What time is it?"

Glancing towards the glowing red numbers of the clock, Uta told her, "It's seven."

Aria cursed softly, "Damn it, I wanted to sleep longer."

Uta snorted before cupping the back of her neck and pressing a kiss to her lips. Aria sleepily returned the kiss before pulling away to yawn. He smiled at the sight of her sleepy eyes and reached out to cup her cheek. Aria nuzzled into the touch, "We're going to have to get up and ready soon. The store's opening in two hours."

"Can't we just stay here and sleep in?" She asked him as he ran his thumb over her bottom lip.

He contemplated doing just that as her tongue slipped out and licked his thumb. With a bit of reluctance, he shook his head, "Yoshimura called yesterday about his newest foundling needing a mask."

Aria's eyes widened and she pushed herself to her knees, "He's coming today? Who's leading him?"

"Touka," Uta watched her eyes brighten, "I take it you've figured out how to apologize to her?"

Aria shrugged, "Maybe. What time are they coming?"

"Around 11," Uta sat up and pulled Aria to straddle his lap.

Aria closed her eyes for a brief moment before saying, "I think I can get it done by then," She opened her eyes, "I'll open the tattoo side after they leave. I should have enough time to make what I want to."

"Would you be able to buy me some more charcoal pencils?" He asked earning a nod, "I'm almost on my last one,"

"I do need to get a few things, so sure," She pressed a kiss to his cheek, "We should probably get up now,"

"Probably," He pulled her flush against his body and kissed her deeply.

* * *

Kaneki looked at Touka as the female ghoul asked, "Where is Aria?"

"She should be here soon," Uta looked up from Kaneki to Touka, "She has something for you which is the whole reason she's running a bit late today,"

"Something for me?" Touka murmured softly looking both surprised and a little fearful.

Before Kaneki could ask about who 'Aria was, the door opened and in walked someone he'd seen once before at the coffee shop. She was lithe and slightly short with tanned skin. She had a rather warm looking black leather jacket with a red fur lined collar that was unzipped revealing a red graphic t-shirt depicting a howling wolf in black. Hung low on her hips were a pair of ripped up black jeans, she wore a pair of black combat boots. Her burgundy and obsidian colored hair was streaked with bright shocks of white. On her ears, she had three studs in her cartilage and one fang hanging from each ear. On the visible skin of her arms and legs, Kaneki could see a smattering of tattoos though he could barely make out any of them save for the fang sitting under her right eye. What took his attention was her eyes. Glowing emerald green with splatters of crimson and amethyst peered around the shop. As soon as his eye met her's, Kaneki's heart skipped a beat as it felt like a gigantic wolf was judging whether or not he was worth eating. She finally looked away from him to focus on Uta earning a low sigh. Kaneki looked at Uta as the man said, "Aria, this is Ken Kaneki. Kaneki, this is Aria Potter."

"So he's Yoshimura's new foundling?" Aria's voice was surprisingly pleasant considering how intimidating she was, "He looks like a puppy,"

"Is that a good thing?" Kaneki couldn't stop himself from asking.

For some reason, he thought that despite her intimidating appearance, Aria might be someone he could look at as a teacher. Aria hummed lightly as she walked towards a door he hadn't noticed, "Perhaps. You have the potential to do great things, but it honestly depends on what you do that will decide whether that is a good thing or not."

With that, Aria opened the door and walked into the room behind it leaving his sight line. Kaneki looked at Touka and she shrugged while glancing towards the door with a mixture of fear and anticipation. Uta jolted him by saying, "Touka," Touka looked towards Uta, "Go on. She wants to give you something. It's best to get it over with now."

Touka hesitated before nodding and walking towards the office with a grimace. Uta shook his head with a low sigh and Kaneki asked, "Is Touka...afraid of Aria?"

Uta hummed softly, "At the moment, yes. Aria and Touka used to be close though she was a lot closer to Touka's brother. That changed when Touka got Aria mad at the wrong time which resulted in her getting hurt, Touka fears that Aria will harm her again though she shouldn't worry."

Uta shifted the subject back to his mask and Kaneki remembered why he was even there.

* * *

Aria heard Touka enter the scarcely used backroom of HySy ArtMask and inwardly sighed as she looked through the bags to find what she'd brought for Touka. Touka was the first to break the silence, "What do you need?"

"I wanted to apologize for what happened," Aria finally found the box and turned to look at Touka with a sheepish expression, "Touka, I am so sorry for hurting you like that. I was having a really crappy month that only got worse that day when the person I was tracking managed to not only get away, but also hurt me bad enough that I was in a lot of pain," Aria looked down at the box, "I know it doesn't excuse the fact I hurt you so badly, but please forgive me. I would never hurt you like that if I was in my right mind,"

Touka was silent for a few moments and Aria felt a whine bubble up in her throat. When Touka finally spoke, Aria could only feel a relief, "You're like a fucking mutt, you know? Always coming back even after you bite someone."

They weren't okay, but it would be better now. Aria held out the box, "I made these for you. You can even share it with that human friend of yours."

"Really?" Touka took the box and opened it to reveal a cake, "Is this what I think it is?"

"Chocolate cake with strawberry baked inside, your favorite," Aria smiled lightly.

Touka shut the box and smiled slightly at her, "Thanks."

"No problem," Aria looked towards the door, "We should probably head back out. Who knows how badly Uta's freaking the puppy out,"

"You're going to keep calling him that, aren't you?" Touka asked as they headed towards the door.

"Am I wrong?" Aria asked with a raised eyebrow.

Touka shook her head with a soft laugh, "No. It fits him."

* * *

Kaneki almost jumped when Aria wrapped her arms around him and pushed her nose into his neck. He stiffened at the feeling and looked at Uta. Uta chuckled softly, "She's just getting your scent."

"M-my scent?" Kaneki couldn't stop himself from squeaking.

"Aria is a tracker when she isn't acting as a tattoo artist," Touka explained while looking at the masks.

"A tracker?" Kaneki tried to shift away from Aria only to earn a low growl that made him still with wide eyes.

Uta spoke up with a slight smirk, "Trackers are ghouls who's sense of smell is far superior to the regular ghoul. They never forget a scent either which makes them perfect for tracking down people. Aria's one of the best and is paid very well for it especially since she rarely fails in tracking down her targets. Of course, she will assist in capturing her targets which only increases her popularity. Of course, you have to be fairly well off or desperate if you want her to track anyone down for you."

Aria finally moved away from him with a frown and Kaneki asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Like Rize," Aria muttered softly, "You smell like her, but far better. Your scent isn't as oppressive as hers which is due to the lack of binge eating. It's heavy enough to linger for awhile, but sweet enough that most shouldn't mind it. The human side is strong, but the ghoul side is stronger still. It's an odd mixture, but uniquely nice,"

Kaneki was stunned by her words while Touka and Uta looked like it was a usual occurrence. Touka coughed lightly jolting Kaneki out of his shock, "Aria," Aria focused on her and Kaneki noticed that the crimson spots in her eyes had expanded, "I think you scared him."

"Ah," Aria's head tilted lightly reminding him of a dog when it was confused before she blinked and her eyes returned to normal, "My apologies if I scared you,"

"It's fine though is it bad that I smell like that?" Kaneki asked feeling startled by her words.

Aria looked at him for a few moments before shrugging, "Maybe. Rize's enemies will likely come after you thinking you're her until they learn that she's really dead. Stay with Anteiku for awhile before you plan on leaving the twentieth ward, Yoshimura's claim over you will give you some measure of protection."

Kaneki nodded and Aria began walking away, "I'm going to be opening up my side of the shop. Uta, I left some lunch for you on the desk. Eat it before you start working on his mask."

"Thank you," Uta told her before turning back to Kaneki, "Now, have you had any lovers?"

* * *

Koma looked at Kaneki, "You met Aria?"

"She was in Uta's shop. I thought she might work there, but she mentioned her side of the shop which is kind of confusing," Kaneki admitted earning a light laugh from Irimi.

Irimi spoke with a light smile, "Aria is the tattoo artist of HySy ArtMask though she helps Uta with masks sometimes and he helps her with tattooing sometimes," Kaneki looked at her in surprise, "They did each others tattoos."

"So she's a tracker and a tattoo artist?" Kaneki asked earning two nods, "But she looks kind of young,"

Koma laughed at the wide eyed look on Kaneki's face, "She might not look it, but she's skilled tattoo artist. A lot of the ghouls you see with tattoos had them done by her. They might cost a pretty penny, but boy are they worth it. She's one of the few ghouls in Tokyo that know how to tattoo ghouls," Koma smirked at him, "Do you think she's hot?"

"W-what?!" Kaneki went wide eyed and began to stutter.

Koma laughed, "Too bad she's taken. I'd say you have a chance, but the devil ape knows not to take another man's girl."

"Taken?" Kaneki looked at Irimi, "Who is she going out with?"

"Uta," Irimi answered with a light smile.

"R-really?" Kaneki's eyes were slightly wide.

Koma nodded, "Yup though you wouldn't really see it," He frowned slightly, "Those two don't have a romantic bone in their bodies. When I was still the devil ape, I was one of the most romanti-"

"They've known each other for a long time," Irimi cut in earning a scowl from Koma, "I remember the day when they first came in here. It was for Aria's twelfth birthday," Irimi looked at Kaneki, "Though from what I understand, they've known each other since they were children. To get the whole story, you'd have to ask them,"

* * *

Aria was sitting on her favorite bench in the larger of the twentieth ward parks while working on a new sketch. She paused as she smelt a familiar scent and heard a familiar voice, "Well this is a lovely sight. I didn't expect to see you here, Aria."

"Considering this is my favorite bench in this park, I'd say that's a lie since you've found me here plenty of times," Aria looked up and smiled lightly, "It's been awhile Shuu,"

"It's our own faults that our acquaintanceship has been stalled," Tsukiyama replied with a light laugh, "You are busy tracking and tattooing while I'm busy perusing the finer tastes in life,"

"I see," Aria set down her sketchbook, "How have you been?"

"I have been better," Tsukiyama settled in the seat beside her, "I heard that Rize has come to this ward though I have not seen her,"

"She's dead," Aria inwardly growled at herself that the bitch wasn't.

"Oh such an unfortunate event," Tsukiyama sighed earning a soft snort and an eye roll, "Still bearing a grudge towards her?"

"Always," Aria shook her head lightly, "What brings you to me, Tsukiyama? I don't think this is a social call or you would have called me to meet with you at the usual cafe,"

Tsukiyama gave a dramatic sigh, "So focused on getting to the bottom of things," He looked at her, "I was hoping you might help me find Rize, but seeing as she's dead, I cannot do that."

An evil thought occurred to Aria at that moment. While it could end Uta's plans prematurely, it would make the whole tragic play so much more interesting even if it didn't end. She would definitely have to tell Uta about what she was going to do, but for now, she was going to act alone. Smirking lightly, Aria told him, "Shuu. What would you say if I told you Rize left behind something interesting that might prove interesting?"

"Oh?" Tsukiyama brightened and looked at her, "And what might that interesting thing be?"

* * *

"Feeding the boy to the sharks is mean, 'Ria," Uta scolded her lightly as she settled down her back bare to him and the tattoo needle beginning to buzz, "You might end our fun early,"

"And?" Aria didn't even jolt at the first stab of pain, "Add Tsukiyama into play this early will force something interesting to happen not to mention you have to agree that him attempting to eat me was getting annoying,"

Uta was silent for a few moments leaving only the sound of their breath, the sound of music coming from the stereo they had set up in the corner, and the buzz of the needle. When he finally spoke, Aria was no longer registering the pain in her back, "I suppose you're right. It will prove to add an interesting spice to the whole play as well as give it the minor villain we were looking for."

"Kaneki will be more motivated to get information about the bitch," Aria explained her thoughts knowing Uta wanted to understand her choice better, "He will do anything to get that information. At some point, he will end up meeting Itori. Itori will likely ask him to get information about the ghoul restaurant since Souta is always reluctant to talk about it unless it's with either Matsuko or you," Aria tried not to squirm when she felt the itching sensation of the already healing parts of the tattoo, "Tsukiyama will likely take him there anyway as part of the meal. At some point, Kaneki's blood will spill and Tsukiyama will realize what Kaneki is,"

"Thus leaving Tsukiyama to attempt to make a meal out of Kaneki," Uta chuckled softly, "That is devious. I suppose we'll need to give Souta a heads up about this part of the plan," Uta's fingers brushed against her bare skin, "I assume you'll continue to talk with him?"

"Tsukiyama has a lot of interesting insight when it comes to books and I really enjoy our conversations," Aria turned her head to glance at Uta, "You don't really enjoy reading after all,"

"I suppose it's a good thing to have friends outside of the group if only to sow more chaos," Uta still sounded a little annoyed.

Aria was happy he wouldn't push her to end the friendship despite his dislike of Tsukiyama. Aria returned to looking forward and said, "Do you want to piss off some Doves once this one heals?"

"It has been awhile," He hummed lightly, "Sure,"

* * *

Aria walked into the bar and found Kaneki asking, "Really?"

"Why don't you ask her?" Itori grinned at Aria and waved her over, "Where the hell have you been?"

"I got held up at the bank," Aria pulled off her coat as she walked over to where Uta was sitting, "What do you need to ask me, Puppy?"

"P-puppy?" Kaneki stared at her while Itori burst out laughing.

"Oh god, you're right. He is like a little puppy!" Itori shook her head.

Renji nodded to her as Aria sat down between him and Uta. Itori got up to get Aria a drink after she finished laughing. Aria looked at Kaneki and told him, "You remind me of a puppy. New to the world and filled with potential," Kaneki nodded slowly, "You're also pretty cute when you're confused."

Kaneki's eyes widened and Uta chuckled softly, "Don't tease him, 'Ria. It isn't very nice."

"Says the one that enjoys scaring the crap out of any new customers," Aria retorted with a slight smirk, "So Puppy, what did you want to ask me?"

Kaneki shook his head like he needed to clear it before asking, "Are you a one-eye? Like me?"

"You mean an artificial one, right?" Aria asked earning a nod, "Yup," She changed her left eye and watched his eyes widen, "I've been one since a few days after I turned eleven. Of course, we aren't fully the same,"

Aria took the glass of wine Itori handed her and sipped it with a soft sigh. Kaneki nodded slowly, "I heard from Yoshimura and a few others about the magical world. You're a magical hybrid. Can you really eat normal food?" Aria hummed lightly, "Is it true that there's a potion that allows ghouls to eat human food?"

"Yes, but it is difficult to make and can only be used sparingly otherwise your body will develop a resistance to it," Aria watched his expression crumble, "I and the ones holding my contract are currently attempting to find a more reliable potion. While there has been progress made, it is slow for the most part. By our estimation, it will take another five years before the improved potion is created unless we have a breakthrough,"

"Oh," Kaneki sighed softly before shaking his head, "Aria, do you not like Rize?"

Aria barely managed to stop herself from shattering the glass in her hand at the sudden question. It still cracked earning a cry of dismay from Itori. With a wave of her unoccupied hand, Aria repaired the glass. Taking a fortifying gulp of the wine, Aria told Kaneki, "'Do not like' is a very weak term when it comes to what I feel towards Rize. To put it plainly, I hate her and am very glad she's dead. I just wish I'd been the one to kill her."

Kaneki swallowed while Aria mentally growled at the fact Rize was still alive out there. Uta's hand touched hers and Aria realized she'd been trembling in anger. Taking a deep breath to calm the rage that had welled up, Aria took a small sip of her wine as Kaneki said, "Oh."

* * *

Aria walked into Anteiku carrying her sketchpad and a bag of books. Irimi looked up and smiled softly, "Ah, Aria. Here to see Hinami?"

"Yeah," Aria smiled warmly at the female ghoul, "I think she'll really enjoy these,"

"Just head on up, she'll be glad to see you," Irimi told her.

Aria inclined her head and headed up the stairs. She sniffed out Hinami's scent and knocked on the door it was coming from. Aria entered when Hinami called out and smiled warmly at the younger ghoul, "Hinami, I am so glad to see that you're well."

"Aria!" Hinami jumped up and pounced on Aria while Kaneki looked on in shock.

"I'm so sorry about what happened," Aria hugged her close, "I would've come early, but things have been busy for me,"

"It's fine, Aria," Hinami burrowed her face into Aria's shoulder, "I know,"

Aria pulled away and held out the bag of books to Hinami, "I got these from Luna. They might be a bit advanced for your age, but they'll be exactly what you would be learning in school at your age."

Hinami took the bag with a wide grin, "Thank you!"

"No problem," Aria glanced towards Kaneki, "Is Kaneki helping you out?"

"Mhmm," Hinami hummed as she walked back over to the couch carrying the bag of books.

Kaneki looked at Hinami for a few moments before asking, "Do you do this often?"

"I like helping younger ghouls have a chance at a better life when I can," Aria told him, "They need as much help as possible since not everyone has parents to look after them,"

"Aria," Aria focused on Hinami, "You won't be able to stay long, will you?"

Aria sighed softly as she shook her head, "Unfortunately not, Little Bird. I got called in by the goblins. If they hadn't called me in, I would stay and help you go through these."

"It's fine," Hinami smiled weakly, "I know you're really busy,"

"I'll come by again soon and read with you," Aria promised her.

Aria hugged Hinami one last time before leaving. She heard Kaneki asking, "Does this happen a lot?"

"Around this time of year," Hinami replied, "She's really busy,"

 **Well, the last bit seems a bit stilted to me, but I just couldn't get it to flow any better.**


End file.
